After The Storm
by ShowMeStars
Summary: *First* Alicia and Peter story. In their old house, full of memories, Peter and Alicia reflection on their happy times that used to be. Will this reflection bring them closer? Inspired by the "flashback" about the lightning storm in their old house in Season 3. Happy reading!


**Disclaimer: I think saying this before, upfront will be better: this is my first A/P story ever. **  
**This story was written for the amazing Ladybug-Josie. She recommend that other people, namely other A/P fans would enjoy it. All comments are acceptable. Please tell me what you think of it.**

_"After The Storm" _

Thunder crashed and echoed like a giant cymbal from above. Lightning flashed bright white and jagged across the black night sky. The weather was the stuff of nightmares, all crashing thunder and wailing of the wind, trees twisting and swaying violently.  
The calm of the storm was in a big weatherboard house, painted a dark cerulean blue, the only color the young family could agree on. This was their home, and where Alicia felt safe.  
On this frightful night, Alicia was lying on the bed, face to face with Peter. They were under the covers, the flashlight giving a warm and pleasant yellow glow.  
"You still have to protect me, I'm so scared of lightning." Alicia said, her voice quavering in fear.  
Peter puts his hands on Alicia's shoulders. "What was that?!" He said sharply, anxiously. Alicia froze for a second, and then hearing nothing, began to playfully hit Peter. "Not funny, not funny!" She whispered hoarsely. She smiled at Peter, who moved his hands from her shoulders to her cheeks. He tenderly brushed his fingers across her cheeks to calm her and pulled her in and gave her a sweet, familiar kiss.  
"Mmm" Alicia sighed happily and slipped her fingers underneath the collar of Peter's shirt. She tugged at it, wanting Peter to take it off. Peter reached down and started to pull off his shirt from one side when another loud clap of thunder startled them.  
"Waaahhhh!" Grace's screamed cry could be heard from upstairs.  
Alicia sighed, "I'll get her, you can stay."  
"No, I'll come and help." Peter replied and they both climbed out of bed.  
Peter took Alicia's hand and the flashlight in the other and climbed up the stairs. They were greeted by Zach at the top, who was rubbing his tired eyes and was holding his blanket in his small fist, "Grace woke me up with her yelling."  
"I'm sorry sweetie," Alicia bended down to her four year old son's height. "Let's get you back to bed, Daddy's going to talk to Grace."  
Alicia took Zach back to his bed. She tucked his race car blanket around him and kissed him on the forehead. Alicia was glad he was still this young, as kissing him goodnight was one of her favorite things to do at the end of the day. Alicia was making sure she made the most of her time with her children before they got too big. It was the early days now, but Alicia knew that her children would grow so fast.  
"Goodnight sweetie." Alicia said to Zach and walked out of his room and closed his door softly.  
She crossed the hall to Grace's room, where Peter was holding a quietly crying Grace in his arms.  
"Mommy..." Grace said, her voice quivering with tears. "The big noise is scary."  
"Oh Gracie..." Alicia held out her arms and Peter placed Grace in them. Alicia hugged Grace tight, resting her little girl on her hip as Grace buried her face into Alicia's shoulder. "It's okay, Mummy and Daddy are here." Alicia soothed.  
"Hey Gracie," Peter said. "Remember how you were really brave when you got your needle?" He had that soft and loving tone that made Grace look out from her mother's shoulder.  
"Yeah. I 'member" Grace said, her voice quivering, "It hurt."  
"Well come here..." Peter said and held out his arms. Grace reached out towards him and Alicia gave her to Peter. At once Grace snuggled into Peter's strong, broad frame. She really was daddy's little girl, because she looked at Peter with her big brown eyes, totally mesmerized.  
"I want you to be brave just like you were when you got your needle." Peter said quietly. "Can you do that sweetie?"  
Grace nodded. "Yes Daddy."  
"That's my girl." Peter said and carried Grace back to her bed, where the covers were twisted from her wriggling around. Once Peter had placed her gently on the bed, Grace curled up in a little ball on her side, hugging her teddy bear to her chest. Alicia walked over and tucked Grace in and kissed her cheek.  
"Night Mommy" Grace mumbled.  
"Goodnight Grace." Alicia said, and brushed a stray blonde hair tenderly behind her ear.

Alicia and Peter crept quietly back to their room downstairs. They crawled back into bed with the storm almost over. Peter held Alicia's hand until the storm was over. He was at the edge of sleep when Alicia said quietly, "Do you think Grace is asleep?".  
Peter turned over to his side facing Alicia. "Yes, I think so. Why do you ask?"  
Alicia turned inwards to face Peter. "Because..." She stroked her hand down his chest. "I want to continue what we were about to do before we were interrupted." She slid her hand under his shirt.  
"I'd like that." Peter said with a grin. He gripped Alicia's waist, and quickly pulled her on top of him.  
Alicia's laugh was quickly silenced as Peter covered her mouth with his. They kissed in a familiar and passionate dance, giving as good as they got. As they started to remove each others clothes, each inch of skin revealed was stroked and kissed lovingly. Peter built up Alicia to one of her greatest highs, teasing her with his tongue and expert fingers. She was shaking as she gripped the sheets tightly in her hands. He came up to face and kissed her passionately, and pushing into her deeply and thrusting hard and fast, hitting her favorite spot, making her gasp and pant loudly. She matched every thrust, coming apart with a hoarse groan, her teeth biting down on her bruised lips and he came straight after her, wrapping her tightly in his arms afterward. They fell asleep in each others arms.

Twelve years later to the date, Alicia and Peter found themselves in the same house. The exterior and interior of the house had changed as much as their family had. The children could hardly be called so, with Grace almost 15 years old and Zac newly 17 years years of age.  
Staying in this house, especially on a day like this, was bittersweet.  
Alicia and Peter stood together in the kitchen in a comfortable silence, each clutching a glass of wine.  
"Do you remember when Grace was afraid of lightning?" Peter said with a fond tone.  
"Of course, after that night we came into talk to her she never was scared again." Alicia said with a smile. "Thank goodness for that!"  
Peter laughed. "I think I remember some other aspects of that night." He gave her a wink.  
"Ah." Alicia laughed. "Yes. Of course." She looked down, with a sad expression on her face.  
Peter sighed. "You were enough for me Alicia. You were, are the most amazing woman I know. I got caught up in the freedom and privileges of the SA's job. I let power get to my head and I regret that."  
Alicia gave a sad half smile. "We all get a bit caught up sometimes."  
Peter sighed and swirled his wine in his glass.  
"We said that we'd always protect them, I would protect them." Peter said in a rare moment of vulnerability.  
He was always such a strong, commanding figure on the stand but Alicia knew that he cared so much about his family. Alicia liked those moments of vulnerability in him, sometimes his ego and his desires got in the way of the true kindness of his heart.  
"I don't think I have always stuck to that promise." He added. "And I am sorry for that."  
Alicia smiled softly at him, appreciating his raw honesty. "I know."  
Peter looked surprised for a second, Alicia hadn't usually been this...warm and supportive of him, not since she found out about him and Kalinda. The distance had made them closer, a cool off from the intensity of their fight. Tonight was a time of remembering, reminiscing and for the first time in a while Alicia felt safe, and at home. That secure feeling, of being home, she hadn't felt that in a long time and she basked in it.  
"Thank you," Peter said, "I think this separation is pretty ironic, Eli thinks we have never been closer." He gives a dark chuckle.  
Alicia raises her eyebrows, "I would laugh at that, but he has a point." She sighed, carefully constructing the next words in her head. "I think, the distance has been good, for us." She looked up into Peter's eyes. "It has given us a chance to cool off."  
"So have you made a decision about the apartment? Are you going to buy it?"  
"I don't know. I feel kind of..."  
"Yeah?"  
"This feels...right. Here. I haven't felt like...I am home in a long time."  
"And now you do?"  
"I suppose so."  
Peter sighed. "You know you are always welcome here, Alicia. To stay for dinner, or even to live here." Peter let his the boldness of his suggestions sink in, he let Alicia think them over.  
"I think that would be nice." Alicia said after a moment's thought. "We can try." She added.  
"There's no harm in trying." Peter replied.  
"No." Alicia sighed and took a drink of her wine. "Let's join the kids, we haven't had a family movie night, with all four of us in a long time."  
"God." Peter chuckled. "It must have been years."  
Alicia walked with Peter to the living room, where Zach and Grace were lazing on the couches, Zach flicking through the channels.  
"Hey kids. Your mom and I thought we could have a movie night, just like we used to."  
Zach looked a surprised, almost suspicious. He was pretty perceptive, and was getting major vibes from his parents that they were _closer. _Also his father's arm wrapped around his mother's back was a dead giveaway that they were at some sort of reunion stage.  
Grace's eyes widened at her father's hold on her mother.  
"Sure." Grace said. "That would be cool."  
"Yeah." Zach replied. "Cool." He repeated Grace's words, still mystified by his parents sudden closeness. He had resigned himself to the fact that they weren't going to get back together. Now he was thinking, if they could think of getting back together, why not?  
He knew his mom and dad had loved each other a lot. Maybe it could work...but it would take a while, that was for sure. This movie night was a small step.  
Zach could tell Grace was deep in thoughts over this too because they exchanged a look and a knowing smile when they heard and saw their quietly snoring parents leaning on each other, an hour into the movie.  
"Well..." Zach said after the movie."Should we wake them?"  
"No, it's nice, let's not wake them." Grace replied, looking interested over at her sleeping parents.  
"D'ya think they're getting back together?" Zach said after a minute of silence.  
"I don't know. They were working things out, and then Mom kicked him out and..."  
"They've been better, since living apart." Zach added.  
"Yeah. I noticed. So, I don't know. They were good together, I think if they try they could, you know, be together again."  
"Do you want it?"  
"Yeah, I guess so." Grace shrugged. She poked Zach in the arm. "Hey, they are waking up." Alicia's eyes fluttered open.  
"Uhm what?" Alicia mumbled. "Oh." She noticed Peter's arm around her waist and gently took it away and stood up. Peter woke up with a groan.  
"It's late. I should go." Alicia said, smoothing down her work skirt.  
"No." Peter took Alicia's hand gently. "Stay please...Alicia."  
"Yeah Mom. It looks like a pretty bad storm out there." Zach said.  
"Oh." Alicia smiled. "Maybe I will stay then."  
"You're always welcome here, Alicia." Peter said kindly.  
Alicia sat down next to Zach and Grace and put her arm around Zach.  
"Thanks." Alicia said. She didn't really know what was going to happen with her and her family but for this night she was perfectly happy to sit with them, happily in their old home. It hadn't been all of theirs 'home' for a long time.


End file.
